It said it has requested more details from Benin's foreign ministry but no information had been received so far.

A representative of the Russian Embassy in Benin and Togo was quoted as saying by TASS news agency that three Russian citizens were among the hostages seized.

This is the latest incident of piracy off the coast of Benin. In November the West African nation's authorities opened an investigation after pirates abducted nine people from a Norwegian-flagged boat.

While piracy has decreased worldwide, West Africa's Gulf of Guinea is a high-risk area for abductions and armed robbery with shippers reporting several abductions in the region in recent months.